Murder suspect ID‘d

Aiken County Sheriff's Office investigators have identified the man they said murdered two area women in early August and then set their bodies on fire to destroy the evidence.

Franklin Wright, 55, of Oliver Drive in Beech Island, faces murder and arson charges, said Capt. Charles Barranco with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Wright is also wanted in connection with the Wednesday beating of an Augusta store clerk that left her in critical condition. The woman worked at the Lotto Express on 13th Street. It was unclear whether that crime had any connection to the slayings, or whether it led to Wright's link to the crimes.

Neither Wright's connection to the two women nor his alleged motive for the murders has been discussed by local law enforcement officers.

Barranco said those details will emerge later.

"Right now, we want to focus on picking this man up," he said.

He should be considered armed and dangerous, said Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt.

Wright has served time in prison for multiple crimes including assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, buggery, rape, attempted escape, multiple assaults and armed robbery charges.

His arrest record in South Carolina dates back to 1973.

Investigators have identified him as the only suspect to the Aug. 11 murder of 75-year-old Yana Schenker and 38-year-old Shalamar Byrd.

Schenker's body was found burned in her Paddocks Bend home about an hour before the charred remains of Byrd's were found in a wooded area off Storm Branch Road.

Investigators have not said how or if the two women knew each other.

Schenker's body was found between 8:30 and 9 p.m. when a fire at the large two-story home was reported by an alarm company.

When Aiken firefighters entered Schenker's home, they found light smoke and smelled gasoline. Crews extinguished the blaze and found the body lying on the floor of the "bonus" room above the garage. The fire was set in the same room the body was found, said Capt. Troy Elwell, a spokesperson for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

The second body was found by a Storm Branch Road property owner in Clearwater who called the sheriff's office when he saw his undeveloped land near the intersection of Old Storm Branch Road and Storm Branch Road was burning.

It took the Aiken County Sheriff's Office weeks to identify Byrd's remains.

A combination of factors made identifying her a complicated task, including the condition of her body and factors surrounding her criminal background. She was convicted of crimes in Georgia twice, having been sentenced to two years in 2004 for burglary and two years in 2005 for theft by taking.

Investigators have not said what type of accelerant was used to set the woman's body on fire.

Officials have not stated whether they believe Byrd was involved in criminal activity during Schenker's death.

When Byrd's brother saw a sketch of the unidentified woman, he contacted local officials, who in turn obtained a DNA sample from the victim's mother. The DNA swab was matched with fluids obtained during Byrd's autopsy.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Aiken County Sheriff's Office at (800) 922-9709 or the Aiken County Coroner's Office at 642-1741.

Individuals also should call CrimeStoppers of the Midlands at (888) CRIME-SC. Callers can remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of between $50 and $1,000.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.

Timeline

Aug. 11

• Aiken Public Safety respond to a fire in a Paddock Bend home around 9 p.m. – after the fire was extinguished, the body of an elderly female was found.

• A second fire was reported an hour later. The charred remains of another woman was found 10 miles from the first fire in the woods at the intersection of Old Storm Branch Road and Storm Branch Road. Both women were said to have died from asphyxiation.

Aug. 12

• Neighbors tell investigators that the home belonged to 75-year-old Yana P. Schenker, the body found inside the home could not be identified without dental or DNA samples.

Aug. 13

• Officials identify the first body as Schenker from a fingerprint match.

• Investigators release a picture of a ring found on the second body in hopes of identifying her.

Aug. 17

• Investigators said the ring found on the younger victim’s body belonged to Schenker.

Aug. 24

• A sketch is released of the unidentified victim.

Aug. 26

• A second sketch is released of the unidentified victim.

Aug. 28

• The second body is identified as Shalamar N. Byrd after her brother, Robert Byrd, recognized her from the first sketch. It took a little less than a week from the time that Robert contacted investigators to when they could officially identify the body. DNA tests and a partial fingerprint solidified the victim’s identification.